Adjustable louver unit



Aug. 19, 1958 A. E. ZINGONE 2,347,729

ADJUSTABLE LOUVER UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1957 II u [I n hIN VEN TOR. ANTHONY E. ZINGONE I BY ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 19, 1958 A. E. ZINGONE ADJUSTABLE LOUVER UNIT Filed July 1, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORQ ANTHONY E. ZINGONE 2,847,729 ADJUSTABLE LGUVERUNIT Anthony E. Zingone, fvlassapetgua, N. Y., assignor to Neo- RayProducts, line, New York, N. iii, a corporation of New York ApplicationJuly 1, 1957, ierial No. 669,942

Claims (Cl. lit-62) This invention relates to an adjustable louverconstruction for skylights and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a louver unit for controllingthe transmission of light rays into a room from a source of light suchas through a skylight in the roof of a building.

Another object of the invention is to provide a louver unit arranged inadjacent relation to a skylight and with power means for swinging one ofthe sets of plates of the louver unit to any desired position forvarying the area of the openings through the louver unit.

Another object of the invention is the provision of electricallyactuated means having a rotatable disk for moving one of the sets oflouver plates to open and closed relation by turning movement of thedisk in one directron.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of louver unit and arrangement and manner of assembly ofthe parts thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, reference is now made tothe following specification and accompanying drawings in which thepreferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a louver unit constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side View thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of a fragmentary portion of theunit.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on line 5-5of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on line 6-6of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of parts of the louver unitshown in separated juxtaposition.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 7 in assembledrelation.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The louver unit is arranged in the ceiling of a room below a skylightfor shutting off, opening up and controlling the amount of light raysentering the room from the skylight. The louver unit is of rectangularformation in plan and includes a peripheral frame 10 having an inwardlydirected top flange 11 and an outwardly directed bottom flange 12provided with an upwardly inclined lip 13. Arranged within theperipheral frame 10 are a plurality of parallel plates 14 which areintersected by a plurality of transversely extending parallel plates 15so as to provide a plurality of rows of cells opening through the topand bottom of the unit.

The plates 14 extend from one side to the other of the peripheral frame10. and are formed with reduced ends 16 which project through verticalslots in side walls 19 and 20 of the frame. The projecting ends 16 aresupported upon the flanges 12 and rods 18 extend through alignedapertures in the said ends for securing the plates M in assembledrelation with the frame.

The plates 15' are mounted for swinging movement from a verticalrelation in which the louver unit is open for the passage of light raystherethrough to a horizontal relation in which the louver unit isclosed. For this purpose the plates 15 are formed into arcuately curvedupper ends 22 which fit correspondingly shaped recesses 23 in the upperedges of the plates 14 at the points of intersections of the plates 14and 15. The plates 15 are formed with slots 24 extending from the loweredges thereof to the arcuately curved upper ends 22 so as to slideablyinterfit with the plates 14 at the points of intersections therewith.This construction provides means by which the plates 15 have swingingmovement with reference to the plates lid about the arcuate upper endsas the centers thereof. The plates 15 are retained in assembled relationwith the plates 14 by means of metallic straps 25 corresponding innumber to the number of plates 14 and which overlie the upper edgesthereof and are cut and punched to provide longitudinally spaceddepressed looped portions 26 which slideably engage in slots 27 formedin the upper edges of the plates 14 for securing the plates i and inassembled relation. The metal straps 25 extend from side to side of thelouver unit and at their ends overlie the inwardly directed flanges 11of the peripheral frame 10.

The plates are swung in unison on their pivotal connections with theplates 14 by means of an electric motor 28 which is fixedly mounted onthe top of the louver unit centrally thereof and is provided with a disk29 affixed to the motor drive shaft. The disk 29 is operativelyconnected with the plates 15 for swinging the plates to closed relationby a partial rotation of said disk and for swinging the plates to openrelation by a partial rotation of said disk, the rotation of the diskfor swinging the plate to open and closed relation requiring a singlerotation thereof in a clockwise direction as viewed from in front of thedisk.

The disk 2*? is operatively connected with the plates 15 by means of areciprocatory bar 3i which overlies the upper ends of said plates and isconnected therewith by means of levers 32 pivoted at their upper ends tosaid bar on pivot pins 33. The levers 32 are of angulated formation withthe ends 34 thereof secured to side faces of said plates below theircurved upper ends 22. The bar El is connected with the disk 29 by aheaded pin 34 slidcable in a vertical slot 35 in an upstanding arm 36ZtfilXCCl at. its iower end to said bar. The pin 34 projects outwardlyfrom the disk 9 adjacent its periphery whereby rotation of the disk in aclockwise direction will effect movement of the bar 31 to the right withthe movement of the pin 34 through an are at the top of the disk andwill eflect movement of the bar 31 to the left with the movement of thepin 34 through an are at the bottom of the disk. With the movement ofthe bar 31 to the right, the same will be elevated to the broken lineposition shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It will be understood thatmovement of the bar 31 to the right will rock the plates l5 about theircurved upper ends 21-. as the centers thereof to effect swinging of theplates into closed-relation as shown in broken line in Fig. 5 of thedrawings and movement of the bar 31 to the left will rock the plates 15about their curved upper ends as the centers to effect swinging of theplates to the full line open relation shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

In addition to serving as means for connecting the plates 14 and 15 inassembled relation, the straps extend beyond the side edges of the slotsLtd for closing off said slots when the plates 15 are in closed relationto thereby prevent light entering through said slots.

The lower ends of the plates overlap the curved upper ends of theadjacent plates respectively when in closed relation so as to preventlight entering through the unit between adjacent plates.

The frame 10 is reinforced at the top thereof by corner members 37 whichare riveted or otherwise secured to the side walls thereof and extendover the flanges ll.

While the preferred form of the invention has been shown and describedherein, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited but shallcover and include any and all modifications thereof which fall withinthe purview of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adjustable louver unit for a skylight, a peripheral framehaving an inwardly directed top flange and an outwardly directed bottomflange, a plurality of spaced parallel fixed plates arranged within theperipheral frame and having end portions projecting through slots inopposite sides of said frame, a rod extending through openings in theprojecting ends of said plates at each of said opposite sides of theframe fixedly securing said plates to said frame, a plurality of spacedparallel movable plates arranged within the peripheral frame andextending transversely of and intersecting the fixed plates to therebyprovide a plurality of rows of cells opening through the top and bottomof the unit, said movable plates having vertical slots for slideablyinterfitting with the fixed plates at the poitns of intersectionstherewith, straps overlying the upper edges of said fixed plates, saidstraps and said fixed plates having interengageable means securing thesame together and securing said fixed and movable plates in assembledrelation, means swingably connecting said movable plates with said fixedplates for movement of said movable plates for opening up and closingelf said cells, a bar mounted for reciprocatory movement on said unit,and links secured to said movable plates and pivotally connected withsaid bar for moving said movable plates in unison.

2. In an adjustable louver unit for a skylight, a peripheral framehaving an inwardly directed top flange and an outwardly directed bottomflange, a plurality of spaced parallel fixed plates arranged within theperipheral frame and under said top flange at the ends thereof andhaving end portions projecting through slots in opposite sides of saidframe with said end portions supported upon said bottom flange, a rodextending through openings in the projecting ends of said plates at eachof said opposite sides of the frame fixedly securing said plates to saidframe, a plurality of spaced parallel movable plates arranged within theperipheral frame and extending transversely of and intersecting thefixed plates to thereby provide a plurality of rows of cells openingthrough the top and bottom of the unit, said movable plates havingvertical slots for slideably interfitting with the fixed plates at thepoints of intersections therewith, straps overlying the upper edges ofsaid fixed plates, said straps and said fixed plates havinginterengageable means securing the same together and securing said fixedand movable plates in assembled relation, means swingably connectingsaid movable plates with said fixed plates for movement of said movableplates for opening up and closing off said cells, a bar mounted forreciprocatory movement on said unit, and links secured to said movableplates and pivotally conne cted with said bar for moving said movableplates in unison.

3. In an adjustable louver unit, a peripheral frame, a plurality ofspaced parallel fixed plates arranged within and secured to theperipheral frame, a plurality of spaced parallel movable plates arrangedwithin the peripheral frame and extending transversely of andintersecting the fixed plates thereby provide a plurality of rows ofcells opening through the top and bottom of the unit, said movableplates having vertical slots for slideably inter- (ill fitting with thefixed plates at the points of intersections therewith, straps overlyingthe upper edges of said fixed plates, said straps and said fixed plateshaving interengageable means securing the same together and securingsaid fixed and movable plates in assembled relation, means swingablyconnecting said movable plates with said fixed plates for movement ofsaid movable plates for opening up and closing off said cells, and saidstraps extending beyond the edges of said slots for closing off saidslots when said movable plates are in closed relation to thereby preventlight entering through said slots.

4. In an adjustable louver unit, a peripheral frame, a plurality ofspaced fixed parallel plates arranged within and secured to theperipheral frame, a plurality of spaced parallel movable plates arrangedwithin the peripheral frame and extending transversely of andintersecting the first mentioned plates to thereby provide a pluralityof rows of cells opening through the top and bottom of the unit, saidmovable plates having vertical slots for slideably interfitting with thefixedplates at the points of intersections therewith, means swingablyconnecting said movable plates with said fixed plates for movement ofsaid movable plates for opening up and closing off said cells, a barmounted for reciprocatory movement, links secured to said movable platesand pivotally connected with said bar for swinging said movable platesin unison, an upstanding bar affixed to said last mentioned bar, anelectrically driven disk mounted for rotation above said unit, and saiddisk and said last mentioned bar having pin and slot connection formoving said movable plates to closed relation by partial rotation ofsaid disk and for moving said plates to open relation by partialrotation of said disk.

5. In an adjustable louver unit for a skylight, a peripheral framehaving an inwardly directed top flange and an outwardly directed bottomflange, a plurality of spaced parallel fixed plates arranged within theperipheral frame and under said top flange at the ends thereof andhaving end portions projecting through slots in opposite sides of saidframe with said end portions supported upon said bottom flange, a rodextending through openings in the projecting ends of said plates at eachof said opposite sides of the frame fixedly securing said plates to saidframe, a plurality of spaced parallel movable plates arranged within theperipheral frame and ex-- tending transversely of and intersecting thefixed plates to thereby provide a plurality of rows of cells openingthrough the top and bottom of the unit, said movable plates havingvertical slots for slideably interfltting with the fixed plates at thepoints of intersections therewith, straps overlying the upper edges ofsaid fixed plates, said straps and said fixed plates havinginterengagable means securing the same together and securing said fixedand movable plates in assembled relation, means swingably connectingsaid movable plates with said fixed plates for movement of said movableplates for opening up and closing ofi? said cells, a bar mounted forreciprocatory movement on said unit, links secured to said movableplates and pivotally connected with said bar for moving said movableplates in unison, an upstanding bar aifixed to said last mentioned bar,an electrically driven disk mounted for rotation, above said unit, andsaid disk and said last mentioned. bar having pin and slot connectionfor moving said movable plates to closed relation by partial rotation ofsaid disk and for moving said plates to open relation by partialrotation of said disk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

